IN BRIEF (Page 2)

Activist sentenced for subverting state power

A court in North China sentenced activist Zhai Yanmin on Aug 2 to three years in prison, suspended for four years, for subverting state power. Zhai, 55, of Beijing, used the internet to post comments that harmed national security and social stability, according to Tianjin No 2 Intermediate People's Court. The defendant pleaded guilty during the open trial and said he will not appeal. The court said Zhai had manipulated public opinion and organized protests after joining an "underground organization".

Couples not waiting for 2nd-child rule

Remarried couples in Guangdong province who are pregnant with a second child will not be forced to have an abortion, even though they have not yet been granted permission for a second child. The provincial health and family planning commission will also not suggest employers dismiss or punish those who are pregnant with a second child without permission, the commission said on Aug 2.

Party unveils reform plan for youth league

The General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee has released a reform plan for the Communist Youth League of China. It streamlines the league's leadership and encourages more young people at the grassroots level to join, Xinhua News Agency reported on Aug 2. The reform also requires innovation in the league's activities and local team structures, such as expanding volunteerism and social work.

Jade Rabbit signs off from moon mission

"Hi. This could be the last greeting from me." The farewell message posted on Sina Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, by the nation's Yutu (Jade Rabbit) lunar rover on July 31 caused a stir on social media. "The moon says it has prepared a long, long dream for me, and I'm wondering what the dream will be like - will I be a Mars explorer, or be sent back to Earth," read the post, which received nearly 100,000 shares, likes and comments.

Strategic deals focus on training railway talent

Chinese colleges signed strategic agreements with counterparts in Southeast Asian nations to train skilled railway transportation workers. The agreements, signed in Guizhou province on Aug 2, included Beijing Jiaotong University and Guiyang Vocational and Technical College, which will train international students in two-year college programs and four-year bachelor's programs.

New rules put heat on misbehaving tourists

Chinese tourists who make a national blacklist because of uncivilized behavior will face restrictions when taking flights, joining travel groups or even taking overseas trips under a revised draft of regulations released on Aug 1. Provincial and national authorities can maintain records and share them with the public, travel agencies and industry organizations. Records can also be shared with government agencies responsible for public security, customs, inspection and quarantine, border protection, transportation and finance.

Li sends greeting to China-ASEAN group

Premier Li Keqiang sent a letter of congratulations on Aug 1 for the China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week, which started in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou province. In the 25 years since China established ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, people-to-people exchanges and educational cooperation have become new forces for the relationship and have shown great promise for the future, Li said in the letter.

Former senior officer tried in graft case

A former police chief stood trial on corruption charges on Aug 1, authorities said. Feng Zhiming, former deputy director of the public security bureau in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, was charged with bribery, embezzlement, illegal possession of guns, and holding a large amount of money that he could not account for, according to prosecutors. The trial has drawn much attention, as Feng headed the investigation into Huugjilt, a teenager executed for murder and rape 19 years ago who was exonerated in 2014 after another man confessed to the crimes.

1,200 displaced by earthquake in Guangxi

A magnitude-5.4 earthquake in Cangwu county, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, on July 31 displaced more than 1,200 people and damaged around 200 houses, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. The quake has caused more than 24 million yuan ($3.6 million; 3.2 million euros) in direct economic losses.

(China Daily Africa Weekly 08/05/2016 page2)